Lost-preventing finger ring spring



Oct. 16, 1956 STEFFEN 2,756,599

LOST-PREVENTING FINGER RING SPRING Filed Sept. 27. 1952 I 2x an INVENTOR l IQ-Z Lou/s STEFFE/V United tates Patent "'0 2,766,599 LOST-PREVENTING FINGER RING SPRING Louis Steifen, Covington, -Ky., assignor, by mesne assignments, of one-half to A.'Sauer.and (20., Inc., Cm-

This invention relates to improvements in a 1 lostpreventing finger spring, that is, a spring for use with a finger ring to take up any looseness between the ring and finger.

It frequently occurs that a ring is larger than the portion of the finger between the knuckle and hand resulting in looseness or play between the finger and ring. This looseness may be annoying or cause the loss of the ring yet the ring size cannot be changed due to either the construction of the ring or the formation of the hand.

By the present invention there is provided a device that will take up the play or looseness between the finger and ring without in any wise detracting from the appearance of the ring or causing discomfort to the wearer.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a device which, for want of a better name, is herein referred to as a ring-spring,. for .taking up looseness or play between a finger ring andthefinger.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a ring-spring or ring-guard that is efficient in use, light in weight and substantially invisible when in use.

A further object of the present invention vision of a ring-spring or ring-guard that is adapted to be placed in position after the ring has been placed on the hand and which ring cannot then be removed from the finger or readily turned on the finger except after the removal of the said ring-spring or ring-guard.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a ring-spring or ring-guard that may be employed with the usual bridal ring sets, that is the engagement ring and wedding ring, for retaining these rings in a desired relation to one another and at the same time take up any looseness or play between said rings and the wearers finger.

A still further and specific object of the present invention is the provision of a ring-spring for accomplishing the foregoing objects that may be formed from a single blank or stamping wherefore its economical production is assured.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an extended plan view of a blank from which a ring-spring of the present invention is formed.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a completed ring-spring formed from the blank of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the ring-spring of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the ringspring as seen from line 44 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the ring-spring in operative position.

Fig. 6 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of an extended blank is the prov.modified to .provide a ring-spring. for use with a bridal ringtset.

"Fig. 7'is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating in top plan a completed ring-spring formed frommthe blank of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinalsectional view through the completed ring-springof Fig. 7 as seen from. line 8-8. on said Fig. "7.

Throughout the several views of the drawingssimilar reference characters are employed to denote. the same or similar parts.

As was noted above thering-spring, so called forwant of a better term, is employed with finger ringstfor taking up looseness or play" between .the finger and a. ring "thereon. -The ring-spring .is formed of a relativelylight :sp'ring material preferably metal ofnon-corrosive prop- .er'ties, such as Germansilver andvthe like.

The ringspring of the present invention is illustrated as bent from a single piece or strip of material-but it need not be so formedas a casting ofproper material would produce "the same results and'particularly where the device ismade ofnon metallic material, .such as one of the synthetic plastics.

As seen'in'Figs. l to"4 usev is made of a stamped blank ing from saidrnid-pointttothe bo'dy portion ends, indi- "cated "in'the drawings tby'dotted lines 12 and 13 which form'bend orfoldlines'as'will:presently be made clear. The body portion 10,.islongitudinally.apertured as at 1 4 therebyprovidingthebodygportion .in' the form of "opposed bandson'straps 15' and 16.

"Outwar'dly of'the ends of the "body portionll are 'spring fingers 1'7 arid'18, each illustrated as tapering from its inner to its outer -end. -I;aterally "projecting'from 1'9, 20,"2'1"and 22.

After the blank of Fig. 10 has been formed as just described and as illustrated in Fig. 1, the spring fingers lugs 19 to 22 inclusive are each bent to upstand normal to its finger. The said spring fingers 17 and 18 are then respectively bent on its bend lines 12 and 13 to overlie the body portion 11 each inwardly of its end. The body portion is then given a permanent are set to be semicylindrical in elevation.

The ring-spring is now in condition for use With the body portion 11 arched as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 and with the spring fingers 17 and 18 extending substantially tangentially of the ends of the body portion with the lugs 19 to 22 outwardly projecting from the inner or upper ends of said fingers.

When it is desired to place the ring-spring in operation the same is disposed between the inner wall of the ring and the opposed finger, preferably adjacent the palm of the hand. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the ring 23 is mounted on a finger 24 with the ring-spring downwardly urging the ring so that the ring engages the upper surface of the finger and all of the looseness or space 25 is disposed below the finger. It should be noted that the arc of the ring-spring when free is to a radius somewhat smaller than the radius of the finger, wherefore the outer ends of the body 11 are outwardly urged which yieldable urging is resisted by the engagement of the outer ends of the fingers 17 and 18 with the ring. The sides of the ring adjacent the said free end of the fingers 17 and 18 is flanked by the lugs 19 to 22 thereby preventing the ring-spring from being laterally shifted with respect to the ring.

It should be noted that while the ring-spring is under tension, when in operative position as illustrated in Fig. 5, this tension is such as not to discomfort the wearer but is such as to effectively prevent inadvertent removal of the ring from the finger and at the same time prevent the ring from rotating on the finger of its own accord in normal usage of the wearers hand.

The modified ring-spring in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 is for the purpose of positioning and retaining the so. called bridal ring set, or other ring sets, in proper relation to one another and without looseness or the like between them and finger.

The modified blank 10' has a body portion 11 substantially identical with that of Fig. 1 but has its spring fingers 17' and 18' of greater width than the corresponding members of Fig. l with said spring fingers provided at their outer ends with the outwardly projecting lugs 19, 20, 21 and 22. In addition the modified blank 10' has projecting outwardly axially of the spring fingers 17' and 18 lugs 26 and 27 which, in practice, upstand from the said spring fingers 17' and 18'.

The blank of Fig. 6 is processed the same as the blank of Fig. 1 to have its body portion 11 arched as illustrated in Fig. 8 and with the spring fingers 17' and 18' projecting substantially tangentially of the ends of said body portion. As seen in Figs. 7 and 8 the completed modi fied ring-spring has each of the lugs of its spring fingers upstanding normal for thereby providing, see Fig. 7, a

ring space between one edge of lugs 26 and 27 and the opposed faces of lugs 19 and 21 and a second ring space 9 between the other edge of the said lugs 26 and 27 and the opposed faces of lugs 20 and 22. With this arrangement one ring is disposed in one ring space while the other ring is disposed in the other ring space, as illustrated in Fig. 7, and wherein one of the rings is illustrated in phantom lines and indicated by the reference numeral 28 while the second ring is likewise illustrated in phantom lines and indicated at 29.

The modified ring-spring of Figs. 6, 7 and 8 will position the rings 28 and 29 in the same relation to the finger as illustrated by ring 23 in Fig. 5 and at the same time the central lugs 26 and 27 will retain the rings in slightly spaced apart relation to one another.

In view of the foregoing it is believed evident that there has been provided a ring-spring that accomplishes the objects initially set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. A ring-spring or ring-guard for use with and removably mounted within a finger ring comprising a body portion arched downwardly about a center within and in line with the center and to a diameter somewhat less than the diameter of the finger and therefore the ring with which it is used, a spring finger from each end of the body portion to lie on and extend tangentially of the said body portion toward one another and engaging the inner surface of the ring for yieldingly, inwardly urging said arched body portion with respect to said ring, and lugs from the sides of said spring fingers flanking the finger ring to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

2. A ring-spring or ring-guard for use with and removably mounted within a finger ring set comprising a body portion arched downwardly about a center within and in line with the center and to a diameter somewhat less than the diameter of the. finger and therefore the ring with which it is used, a'spring finger from each end of the body portionto lie on and extend tangentially of the said body portion and toward one another and engaging the inner surface of the ring set for yieldingly inwardlynrging said arched body portion with respect to said ring set, lugs from the sides of said spring fingers flanking the outer surfaces of the finger ring set to prevent lateral displacement thereof, and a lug upstanding from the ends of the spring fingers disposed between the rings of the finger ring set.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 21, 1885 

